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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28046148">Heartwarming Gift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkGreiga/pseuds/DarkGreiga'>DarkGreiga</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>God Eater (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, F/M, FanFiction.Net</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:21:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28046148</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkGreiga/pseuds/DarkGreiga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A birthday is always a special day, even if you're a God Eater. A gift makes a birthday more meaningful and it's the very reason why the infamous Blood Captain is struggling to come up with a good gift for his beloved Vice Captain. After all, he wants it to be special for her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ciel Alencon/Protagonist (God Eater 2)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heartwarming Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just like how I did with Hiro's birthday last month, I'm doing another GE birthday fic! The story also takes place at the same timeline as the previous one shot, but with an extra flashback added. Because the story is written completely in Google Docs, I really hope that the format and quotes don't break when the story is finally uploaded.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The time was only 4 in the morning.</p><p>The captain of Blood let out a sigh as he was woken up before his usual time. He was feeling restless since the night before, seeing as it wasnʼt a usual day. He rolled to the side of his bed and the sight in front of him made him smile.</p><p>His wifeʼs peaceful sleeping face was a rare sight for him to see as he almost always woke up later than she was. Her long silver hair was partially covering her face as she slept and Hiro had to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear to get a good look of her face. She looked a little ticklish to his touch, but the fatigue she had stopped her from waking up.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Ciel,” he whispered with a smile. “Sorry I havenʼt got the chance to get you something as a present. I promise Iʼll think of something.”</p><p>Even if he did promise her while she wasnʼt even awake, he couldnʼt think of anything to give her. He let out a sigh as he sat up on the bed, though carefully enough so that he wouldnʼt wake her. He looked back at her when he heard something moving next to him, but then sighed in relief when he noticed that she was only turning in her sleep, leaving her to lie on her back instead.</p><p>Hiro took another quick look at her before getting off the bed and heading for the desk Ciel usually used to write reports. He turned on the desk lamp, illuminating the assortment of reference books belonging to his wife and a few picture frames on the desk. He looked at the items on the desk for ideas, only to come up with nothing.</p><p>Flowers? Ciel wasnʼt the type of woman to like flowers. Food? He had to admit that he wasn’t great at cooking and food would be a better gift for Nana instead. Ribbons? She might have a few in stock and she would use the extras to dress Cappyʼs children instead.</p><p>A book would be a good option as she liked reading and learning new things, except that he wasn’t sure what kind of books she would want and need. Another good idea would be crafting her a decorative bullet to show her, except he wasnʼt as good as her when it was about bullet crafting. What would be his last option?</p><p>Accessories. He gave one last year, but he hadnʼt seen her wear it lately. Did she get bored of it or was she just wearing it because it was simply a gift from him?</p><p>The more he thought, the more unanswered questions popped up in his head. He let out a sigh as he was completely out of ideas. He put his face on the desk as his mind was struggling with good ideas for a gift, until he remembered that he hadnʼt checked everything completely.</p><p>The desk he was sitting on had a single drawer which he had never bothered looking into. She would probably be mad if he looked through it as it was more or less her personal drawer, but it would be his last place to look for ideas.</p><p>The brunette looked back at the bed, seeing that his beloved vice captain was still fast asleep. His hands turned cold as he put his attention back to the drawer and nervously pulled it out. He expected to see things he wasnʼt supposed to see as it was a womanʼs drawer he was looking into, but upon a closer inspection, it looked like there was nothing private kept in there.</p><p>There was a small bag of colorful ribbons Ciel used to tie her hair in the bottom left corner of the drawer. A few notebooks and a few stationary were stacked neatly in the middle of the drawer, leaving the other corners empty. The contents of the drawer didn’t seem to be out of the ordinary, until he spotted a familiar blue box hidden under one of the notebooks.</p><p>He took out the box and opened it, seeing the familiar shine of the only accessory he had given her. He got his answer when he wondered why she hadnʼt been wearing it lately when he saw a crack on the bullet-shaped pendant. It was probably because of an Aragami attack that it broke, seeing that it was impossible for her to be careless when handling something she cherished so much.</p><p>Knowing that fact in mind, he was happy enough that even if the pendant broke, she still chose to keep it instead of throwing it away. The clear surface of the pendant reflected the light of the desk lamp, making him recall the smile on her face reflected on it when he gave it to her in the first place.</p><p>It was hard to believe that it had already been a year since that day.</p>
<hr/><p>“Oooh!” Nanaʼs eyes were gleaming while the other members of Blood minus Ciel looked surprised. “S-So youʼre going to give her a present… in the form of a proposal?!”</p><p>Nanaʼs loud question had caught the attention of a few other God Eaters present in the lounge. When she noticed that all eyes in the room were on the group, Livie was quick to cover the hammer wielderʼs mouth before she could spoil anything else unnecessarily, “Please continue, Captain.”</p><p>“Well, thatʼs mostly it for now. I do have something else I crafted for her, but the proposal is the main thing,” Hiro told them before letting out a sigh. “And… Iʼm feeling kinda nervous for once…”</p><p>Romeo joined on his captainʼs side, squeezing into the small space between Hiro and the protesting Gil before putting an arm around his shoulder, “Oh, come on! I mean, who wouldnʼt want to live together with the best captain of the Far East who had solved crisis after crisis and saved the world from the second Devouring Apocalypse?”</p><p>“That… was kinda true in a way, I guess…” Hiro looked at his blond friend with a raised brow.</p><p>He wasnʼt too keen about bragging his accomplishment in public, even if he did the things Romeo mentioned. Though knowing Ciel, she probably wouldnʼt mind it even if he was a nobody as long as he showed that he cared about her. All she needed was someone by her side because she grew up being alone and he was the first friend she ever had.</p><p>“In that case, do you have a solid plan on the event?” Julius was next to ask. “I’m not too knowledgeable about this sort of thing, so Iʼm sorry I wonʼt be much of a help.”</p><p>“Donʼt worry, I can talk to Hibari to set us up for a mission together,” Hiro leaned back on the couch he shared with both Romeo and Gil, ignoring how cramped it was to have three men sitting on the same couch. “Now I just need to decide on a good place to go…”</p><p>Gil had removed himself from the cramped couch and stood up in front of the captain, “How about the dam? The cold shouldnʼt be an issue and the view below is pretty great. It’s the kind of place I go to if I need some alone time to think.”</p><p>“If it’s about the view, shouldnʼt the sacred ground be the best place?” Romeo added in. “I donʼt know about you guys, but seeing lots of greens around is better than seeing the mountains you can barely see because of the fog.”</p><p>Livie had released Nana at this point and nodded to Romeoʼs suggestion, “I donʼt disagree about the great view there and I do recall Ciel telling me that she has always liked the nature in the area.”</p><p>“See? Then the sacred ground is the better–”</p><p>“However,” the scythe wielder continued, “the mystery surrounding the sacred ground caught the eyes of many researchers, especially ones from Fenrir. Even if the view is pretty, I donʼt think you will get much privacy there.”</p><p>Hiro let out a defeated sigh, “I guess the dam is my only option, but I guess it’s not a bad place when itʼs not during a storm…”</p><p>“Is there something in the dam?”</p><p>A familiar voice was heard from behind the captain, who then jumped in shock.</p><p>“C-Ciel! How long have you been there?!” Hiro asked nervously as he turned to face her.</p><p>“Only a few moments ago,” the vice captain responded as she was looking a little confused. “I thought the team was having a briefing, although I believe I wasnʼt informed of it.”</p><p>Julius stood up calmly, “No, we were just talking about testing the survivability of plants in cold weather. The dam seems like a good place to start if the weather is good enough.”</p><p>Hiro sighed in relief before giving the former captain a thumbs up from behind his back.</p><p>“If thatʼs the case, shouldnʼt we send a few people to the site for the testing?” Ciel suggested before taking out her tablet. “I should check our teamʼs schedule for this afternoon so we can start the test–”</p><p>“W-Weʼre free, right?” Hiro grabbed the vice captainʼs hand and stopped her from browsing through the schedule on her tablet. “Both of us, I mean. I’ve checked with both Director Sakaki and Hibari about it.”</p><p>Ciel looked at him suspiciously for a moment before nodding slowly, “If that has been taken care of, perhaps I should ask Hibari for–”</p><p>“I-I can take care of that too!” Hiroʼs response came out a little louder than necessary, which earned him a stare from the vice captain along with some growing attention outside the team members. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and clear the suspicion she might have on him. “You can get your God Arc ready and meet me on the roof. I need to take care of a few things first, so Iʼll handle the mission registration once I’m done with that too.”</p><p>She didnʼt stop staring at him, which made him even more nervous as he was afraid she would start questioning him. Instead of flooding him with questions, Ciel gave him a smile and nodded. “All right. You donʼt have to do the administrative work for me, but thatʼs sweet of you to do so.”</p><p>Cielʼs eyes didnʼt leave his as she put her tablet away and held Hiroʼs hand for a gentle squeeze before leaving. Once she had left the lounge, the brunette slumped back on the couch with a relieved sigh.</p><p>“That was a close one…” he turned to Julius with a smile. “Thanks for the save!”</p><p>“Not a problem,” Julius responded with a nod before he started walking away. “I need to choose a few plants to take with you so she wonʼt be suspicious, but I donʼt think it’ll take long.”</p><p>“Gotcha,” Hiro gave him a nod before he got up from the couch as well. “I’ll get the mission details ready with Hibari and I’ll see you with the plants on the roof.”</p><p>The former captain nodded in agreement, “Yes. Iʼll pick a few smaller ones to make it easier to carry around.”</p><p>Hiro watched as Julius left the lounge as well before returning his gaze to the remaining Blood members. Gil and Livie had given him the look which meant to wish him luck without saying a word. Romeo and Nana had the same impression as well, but they looked a little too excited about his proposal plan.</p><p>The brunette took another deep breath before leaving to get ready as well, not wanting to forget the actual gift he was planning on giving her.</p>
<hr/><p>“We might still need to visit this area periodically in order to see the test result.”</p><p>The Blood couple took a walk by the railing with their Arcs in hand as Ciel was explaining the test.</p><p>“The first two specimens most likely wonʼt grow in colder regions such as this place. The last two might be able to survive, but we still need more time before we can draw any conclusions from this experiment,” Ciel looked up from the tablet she had been looking at for the past few minutes and turned to the captain walking on her side. “I believe we’re finished here for the time being. Has Hibari sent out a helicopter to pick us up?”</p><p>Hiro gave her a nod, “Yeah, but itʼs going to take a little while because apparently the researchers from the HQ wanted to prioritized for pick up.”</p><p>“I see. That’s quite expected of them,” Ciel sounded bitter on the mention of the Fenrir HQ. He wasnʼt surprised as they werenʼt exactly the best of friends with the Far East Branch. Since she was mostly involved with administrative and other related desk work, she was bound to be in contact with them, even if it wasnʼt directly.</p><p>Hiro stopped in his tracks, which prompted his vice captain to stop as well. He walked over to the railing on the side and put his Arc beside him before looking at the mountains surrounding the dam area, “Hey, the viewʼs pretty. We never got the chance to enjoy the view when weʼre out hunting the Aragami in the area.”</p><p>“It is,” Ciel soon joined by his side as well with a smile on her face. “With Friar now gone, this place can become my most favorite place when there aren’t any Aragami.”</p><p>Hiro looked at the vice captain as she let the cold wind blow her silver hair back and forth. She had a smile on her face, one which made him happy and nervous at the same time. Surely this wasnʼt the case under normal conditions, but with the proposal plan in his head, anything he admired from her turned into more reasons for him to feel nervous.</p><p>Still, even if she loved him a lot, was she ready for a marriage and then start a family? He had a twin sister so he knew how it felt to have a family, but the only family Ciel had would be her deceased parents. She had never talked about her past other than her military training during her childhood and he never asked because he never thought that it was necessary.</p><p>“Hey… uh… sorry if this is a little sudden, but do you still think about your parents?” Hiro turned to her with a sad look. “You donʼt have to answer that if it’s too painful for you.”</p><p>Ciel only stared at him for a moment, unsure about how she should respond. She turned her gaze back towards the mountain area and closed her eyes, “I… donʼt remember much about them… I cannot bring myself to even remember their faces, but…” she put her hands together on her chest and smiled, “... for some reason, I can feel their warmth when I spend my time with Blood. Perhaps, the team is growing into a true family in my perspective…”</p><p>“I guess we are, in a way,” Hiro responded calmly. “I mean, we grow individually and as a team. We care and help each other, pretty much like a family would.”</p><p>The vice captain nodded in agreement before her attention got directed at the mountains for a quick moment, “This is quite unusual for you to be suddenly interested in my family. Did something happen?”</p><p>Hearing Cielʼs curious question, the brunette smiled awkwardly. He had always known that she was sharp and he expected that she would ask that question sooner or later. After all, he wasnʼt the type of person who would be too curious about other peopleʼs affairs or personal lives.</p><p>“Did… did I say something wrong?” the vice captain looked a little worried as he was giving her the silent treatment.</p><p>One side of him was worried that he was just going to rush her when she was still trying to adapt to being in a relationship. Another side of him felt that he could just try it and overcome all hurdles together. They were, after all, each otherʼs first love and their relationship was their very first experience. But knowing that only made the brunette even more nervous with a growing fear that their relationship would crumble from half-thought decisions.</p><p>His trains of thoughts were interrupted when he felt something warm on his hands. He looked down to see a pair of gloved hands holding his. He raised his gaze to look at the woman in front of him as she rubbed his hands with hers.</p><p>“Maybe I should get you a pair of gloves the next time Nana invites me to the shops in the Outer Ghetto,” Ciel looked up at him with a smile as she held his hands firmly. “Are you still feeling cold?”</p><p>Hiro could only stare at her blue eyes, which were filled with care and warmth. He could stare at her all day, though he wasnʼt trying to make her uncomfortable even if they were alone. The moment even made him feel a little weird as it was her birthday, but she was doing the comforting instead of him. Why did the birthday girl have to be the one to give instead of receiving?</p><p>The brunette took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was going to turn the table around, even if it was a little risky towards their relationship. If he didnʼt take the chance now, another good one probably wouldnʼt show up immediately.</p><p>Hiro closed his eyes and returned the gentle squeeze Ciel was giving him. When he reopened his eyes, he was met with her blue eyes. His heart was beating fast and his hands were sweating, causing them to feel cold even with them holding hands. He pushed away the nervousness as much as he possibly could and looked straight into her eyes.</p><p>“Ciel,” he whispered. “While I do consider Blood as a family like you do, I still want to have another family I can call my own. A different kind of family.”</p><p>The vice captain blinked and slightly tilted her head, “A different kind… of family?”</p><p>Hiro gave her a nod, “Yeah, the kind of family where I can always end and start the day seeing the face of someone I love by my side. And maybe, kind of like Lindow’s family.”</p><p>It was the kind of family he could imagine when he saw the veteran God Eaterʼs family together. Lindow had talked about his family often enough for him to imagine being in Lindowʼs place. To have a supportive wife beside you and to have a child to raise and help him grow more as a person. Maybe it was just a dream back then, but now he had a chance to make it a reality.</p><p>Cielʼs grip had loosened as she looked at him, surprised. Her reaction told him enough that she had realized what he had meant. She was only staying silent as she was waiting to hear him popping up the question himself.</p><p>“Ciel Alencon, I love you. Would you keep on loving me and spend the rest of your life with me as my wife?”</p><p>The vice captain gasped softly, but her voice was drowned by the howling wind. It was her turn to be frozen in place as she stared at him, who was expecting her to give her answer. The question wasnʼt something she had expected to hear so suddenly, but it wasnʼt something that she didnʼt want to hear. Her only problem would be how she should respond, when she couldnʼt even describe what she was feeling.</p><p>The silence she gave him gave Hiro the wrong idea. His bare hands grew colder as he released her hands with a disappointed look he was trying to hide. His face was turned to the side and before he could let go of her hands completely, she had grabbed his hands and prevented the warmth of their hands from going away.</p><p>Ciel had a sad look on her face, but she obviously had no intention of letting him go. The gesture had Hiro confused as her face was too hard for him to read.</p><p>“I… I donʼt know what to say…” she responded with a frown. “I can feel my affection for you is great, but there is still too much I donʼt know about courtships and relationships.”</p><p>Ciel could see that the brunette was frowning as well, which was the sight she didnʼt want to see. She didnʼt want to disappoint him after all he had done for her with a rejection, but she also never wished for a half-hearted acceptance. Among the confusion within her, there was something else revolting in her heart that she couldnʼt understand.</p><p>“I donʼt know much either,” Hiro admitted with a nervous smile. He let out a sigh before looking up at the sky. “I guess… I kinda felt empty without my parents and sister around, even with Blood around. When you give me that missing piece by staying by my side, I guess that’s when I feel like Iʼm complete as a person.”</p><p>That was probably the reason why he gave her extra attention as well. Maybe his excuse at first was because of his responsibility as a vice captain at that time, but he had probably felt more connection when he discovered more about her past. He was obliged to help, but when her true personality had come out to help him in return, the void in his heart was filled in return and he started falling for her at the same time.</p><p>Cielʼs lips curled into a smile, “If you put it that way, perhaps I can say that while I donʼt know much about being in love, I believe…” she brought Hiroʼs hand to her chest, right where her heart would be, and held it firmly, “... this heart knows more than I believe I do…”</p><p>“Ciel…”</p><p>“I have seen a few records about… m-marriages… lately…” she shyly turned her face away. “I imagined having someone I love waiting for me as I go on missions everyday and it only gave me more reasons to return…”</p><p>Ciel was smiling, though shyly, but it had brought a smile to the brunetteʼs face. He put a hand on the side of her face and gently turned her head so he could see her face clearly, “I can see you greeting me at the gate with a smile and a warm hug after a tiring mission. So, what do you say?”</p><p>The vice captain didnʼt need to say anything. She rested her head on his chest before wrapping her arms around him, “Yes… and thank you, for making today the best birthday I ever had…”</p><p>The brunette responded to the gesture by returning the hug, but he was gently pushed back. When he looked at her, he felt her hands moving behind his neck as she pressed her lips against his. It was a swift one that he didnʼt get the chance to return the kiss, but he was at least lucky enough to witness her rare blushing face as she turned away from him.</p><p>“S-Should we wait for the helicopter somewhere else?”</p><p>He could clearly tell from the tone that she was really embarrassed by her previous action. It wasnʼt a surprise as he was usually the one to take the initiative and even then, they didn’t have the luxury of making out in public. They had a team to lead and as public figures, the only time they could have some private moments would be behind the doors of their dorms.</p><p>But while she wasnʼt looking, it was probably his chance to give her the gift that was supposed to be her birthday gift.</p><p>The brunette closed the distance between them and put his hands over her eyes. The sudden touch had surprised her, but she didnʼt mind it and held his wrists gently in return.</p><p>“Keep your eyes closed, okay?” Hiro whispered to her ear and the tickling sensation of his breath made her giggle.</p><p>The vice captainʼs hands slid back to her sides as Hiroʼs hands left her eyes. The brunette waved a hand in front of her, making sure that she didnʼt reopen her eyes. When he saw that she didnʼt react, he put a hand into his pocket to pull out a blue box.</p><p>He opened the box and a pendant shaped like a bullet reflected the light of the sun hiding behind the clouds. He took it out from the box and put it around the vice captain as she shuddered slightly from having something cold touching her skin. He rested his hands on her shoulders once he was finished, giving her a firm grip on the shoulders.</p><p>Ciel slowly turned around, looking surprised as she held onto the pendant, “This is…”</p><p>“Your birthday present,” Hiro let out a nervous smile as he grabbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I wasnʼt sure you would like it very much, so I had to think about something else to add more value to your present… T-That proposal wasnʼt planned too well, but that was all I could think of…”</p><p>The vice captain chuckled and held the pendant with both hands as she gave him a smile, “All of this is more than I can ask for a birthday present. I shall forever treasure this wonderful gift and memory.”</p><p>Hiro was left speechless when Ciel had given him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen on her. Maybe he was being too paranoid about her not liking what he had made her because he wasnʼt too experienced in crafting. The smile she gave him had quelled his worries about whether or not she liked what he had made for her.</p><p>Maybe it was her birthday, but he felt like he got something in return as well. He could see that happiness radiating from her face, reflected by the pendant she was holding. The sight made him realize that she was truly the one for him.</p>
<hr/><p>His smile was reflected on the broken pendant as Hiro recalled the memory of the proposal. She accepted without too much hesitation even with his lack of planning. Other than having something which was obviously a deep cut from an Aragami’s claw, the pendant looked like it was still brand new. It was quite clear to him that Ciel had taken good care of the pendant.</p><p>He had come to know that she would accept anything he gave her as she knew that it was one way of showing that he cared for her. She only needed someone who cared about her and gave her attention as she grew up with a lonely heart. He had filled the void in her heart even as he was just being kind to her like he did for everyone, but her response to his kindness had also ended up filling his own void.</p><p>Together, they were complete.</p><p>Even with that thought in mind, Hiro wasnʼt going to be completely empty-handed for her birthday. He wanted to give something to return the favor of accepting him and putting up with his tendency to wake up late almost every morning. That broken pendant he found by chance had given him an idea.</p><p>The brunette looked at the digital clock on the wall, realizing that his trip to the memory lane had shortened the time he had before Ciel woke up. He slowly got up from the desk and carefully watched his sleeping wife on their bed.</p><p>“I still have at least an hour and a half until she wakes up…” Hiro whispered to himself and held the broken pendant firmly in his hand before smiling at her sleeping figure. “I’ll finish it in time, just for you…”</p><p>The brunette took another glance at Ciel before he quietly made his way out of the room.</p>
<hr/><p>After what felt like a day worth of tweaking and tinkering, Hiro let out a long sigh as he stretched his arms tiredly.</p><p>“Finally! Itʼs finished!” the brunette put his hands back on the table in front of him before putting his handiwork proudly above his head.</p><p>The bullet pendant was fixed, with some changes to the design included. The clear surface reflected the light of the workshop he had been spending his time in. Even if he technically had something to give her, he felt that the upgraded pendant was more like he was fixing something which was already hers to begin with instead of giving her something new.</p><p>With another sigh, Hiro put the pendant back on the table. The fatigue from the lack of sleep was catching up to him, especially when he was already up far before his usual time. His mind was too tired to think and the workshop was still void of people as it was still very early in the morning. He couldn’t have anyone to help him think of an idea when he was the only one present in the empty workshop.</p><p>The brunette turned his head to the side, looking at the calendar pinned to the wall. It was a monthly calendar with various notes being written on it by the engineers.</p><p>Seeing the date only put more pressure on him as he still hadnʼt properly thought of a gift. Since they didnʼt get the chance to spend too much quality time together, then would a quality time together be his gift for her? Then again, his head was drawing another blank on a good dating spot when his first choice was off the list as he recalled that the researchers were scheduled to study on the wrong days.</p><p>Hiro sighed for what felt like the dozenth time in the past hour as his eyes were still on the calendar. The distance between him and the calendar made it hard for him to see the notes written, but it wasnʼt like he could understand them anyway. When his gaze was directed to the upper side of the calendar, he was met with the wallpaper showing a starry night sky.</p><p>“Itʼs pretty…” he commented with a smile. “Ciel probably havenʼt seen something like…”</p><p>An idea suddenly hit him and he stood up suddenly, with enough force to almost knock the chair.</p><p>“Thatʼs it! A stargazing date at night!” Hiro put his hands together while smiling proudly, but his pride only lasted for a few seconds as it was soon replaced with worry. “Would a good memory together be enough for her birthday…?”</p><p>Hiro looked back at the pendant, seeing his worried face on its clear surface. He imagined the look on Cielʼs face being reflected instead, giving him a smile. She was always happy with what he did for her and anything he gave her, but she had also done a lot for him that he felt she deserved something better.</p><p>When his eyes gazed at his working table, the leftover materials he used were scattered all over it. He only changed the design slightly as an additional touch while he was trying to get better at crafting. While it didnʼt turn out to be bad, maybe a repair and a design change werenʼt enough. Should he add something more to the pendant?</p><p>The brunette looked at the clock sitting on the table in front of him. If he wanted to add more to the pendant, he still had half an hour left before he had to go back to his room. It was his only choice to keep her from being too suspicious about his disappearance.</p><p>Hiro quickly gathered the materials all over the table as he had made his own decision.</p>
<hr/><p>Her biological clock had told her body that it was time to get up. She stirred in her bed for a moment before she rolled to the side and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled and expected to see the sleeping face of her husband next to her, only to find that the person in question was missing from the bed.</p><p>His lack of presence had her worry for a moment as she sat up on the bed and still couldnʼt find him anywhere in the room. Her mind was racing through the many possibilities of the reason for his disappearance, from good to bad scenarios. She could recall that he was there when she fell asleep the night before, but the cold bed on his side told her that he had left for a while.</p><p>When she was too absorbed in her own thoughts, the door suddenly slid open and surprised her. Her shoulders relaxed as she let out a smile the moment her eyes were met with her belovedʼs cerulean eyes.</p><p>“Sorry, did I wake you?” Hiro walked into the room and let the door behind him close automatically as he headed for the bed and sat right next to her.</p><p>Ciel rested her head on his shoulder and held onto the black uniform coat the brunette was wearing, “No, I had already woken up before you came in.”</p><p>“Okay, good,” he responded in a whisper before planting a kiss on her slightly exposed forehead. “You should go and get dressed then.”</p><p>Ciel felt a little disappointed as the warm comfort went away when Hiro got up from the bed. She didnʼt mind too much if it meant that she had more of the day to spend with him in return.</p><p>The vice captain looked up at him with a tired smile before nodding, “Of course. Shall I meet you later in the lounge? Or would you like to wait here and leave together?”</p><p>“Well, I still have one more thing to take care of, so I guess I’ll meet you there,” Hiro gave her a wave as he walked back to the door. “I was just hoping to see your pretty face as you wake up, but Iʼll have plenty of chances for that later!”</p><p>Ciel smiled and watched silently as Hiro disappeared through the door. It was rare of her to see him up before she did, but she never minded it if she had to wake him up for the day as she always would. She already had plenty of days when she could wake up to his sleeping face, so a single day without it made her feel that something else was going to happen.</p><p>Seeing as it was her birthday, she expected something good and memorable coming from him.</p>
<hr/><p>“Is it okay for you to be out at this hour? Donʼt you have a mission tomorrow?”</p><p>Hiro hadnʼt thought about the plan that far, but Ciel wasnʼt completely wrong.</p><p>It was a little over a God Eaterʼs usual bedtime when a mission was waiting for them on the next day. He had an entire day off, but he still had the lingering tiredness from the lack of sleep. Even so, it was already far too late to change his plans.</p><p>“Hiro,” Ciel spoke up softly with a sad smile on her face as she hugged his arm. “Iʼm happy that you decided to give me some time together on my birthday, but I feel guilty if you cut your mission preparation time just for my sake.”</p><p>The brunette stopped walking to take a good look at his wife. She wasnʼt wrong at all, seeing as they were alone in the dark in the snowy dam area and in the cold weather. Even if their Bias Factors enabled them to adapt to the cold, they werenʼt completely immune to illness. It would be bad if he caught a cold on the next day, but he was willing to take the risk if it meant that they would have some moment together on her special day.</p><p>“I know, but I want you to have something memorable enough for your birthday,” Hiro responded in an equally soft tone and looked at her with a smile. “Come on, letʼs go and get ourselves a good view of the mountain range!”</p><p>The vice captain only smiled in response as she knew that he wasnʼt going to change his mind when he was going to do something. She followed him as they headed for the guard railings with a direct view of the snowy mountain range around the area. It was dark, but the white snow blanket covering the mountains was still visible from the position they stood.</p><p>“I cannot forget what happened here, one year ago,” Ciel put a hand on the railing before she shyly glanced at the brunette. “You proposed to me on my birthday and I can still remember how happy I felt when I got the chance to experience a new part of life as a family…”</p><p>Hiro looked at her with a smile as well before putting a hand on hers while he had his attention on the mountain range, “It wasnʼt exactly well-planned then, but it actually turned out really good in the end!”</p><p>“Yes, it was.”</p><p>The brunette felt an extra weight on his side. When he looked at her, Ciel was leaning against him with her eyes closed. She had a smile on her face as she held his hand with both of hers.</p><p>“And I gave you that pendant too, as an actually physical gift,” Hiroʼs words made the vice captain shift her position uncomfortably before trying to move away, but the brunette stopped her by wrapping his arm around her waist. “Hey, donʼt go away now.”</p><p>Ciel squeezed her arm with a guilty look on her face, “I… I-Iʼm truly sorry about–”</p><p>“I fixed it for you,” Hiro interrupted, causing the vice captain to look at him in both surprise and confusion. The brunette laughed nervously, “Well… I know I’m not supposed to go through your drawer, but I kinda did while looking for ideas and I found the broken pendant.”</p><p>The brunette wasnʼt trying to avoid her gaze, though he expected some scolding from her as he had gone through her personal belongings. They might be married, but they still had to respect each otherʼs privacy. Even if he was doing it to get some ideas about what to give her, he still did something which could be considered as a violation to her privacy.</p><p>Ciel, however, didnʼt look mad at all.</p><p>“I’m not upset about it. I thought that it was our drawer instead of just mine,” the vice captain responded with a confused look.</p><p>Hiro felt slightly relieved as he wasn’t given any sort of scolding from a breach of privacy. Maybe he was just being a little too paranoid from being sleep deprived.</p><p>The brunette decided that it was time to return the pendant and he dug into his pocket to pull out the blue box she was already familiar with. He held it in his hand before closing the distance between them to put the pendant around her neck. Her breathing on his skin could be felt before he let go of the pendant to take a good look at the vice captain.</p><p>Their faces were close to each other with Hiroʼs hands resting on her shoulders. He moved his hand to the side of her face, pulling her closer to him for a kiss. Her lips were cold from being exposed to the snowy weather, but the cold didnʼt take away their soft touches as they brushed against his own lips.</p><p>They slowly parted with their foreheads together as Hiro gently caressed her cheek, “Happy birthday, Ciel. Sorry I canʼt get you more than a date and a fixed pendant this year…”</p><p>“Itʼs okay,” Ciel had a contented smile as she responded in a soft tone. “Knowing that you care so much about me is more than I could ever ask for.”</p><p>The brunette moved away slightly, but his eyes were still fixed on her as he was smiling at her, “Actually, thereʼs something more in this date and itʼs the reason why I asked you to come with me here at this hour.”</p><p>Hiro looked up at the sky, prompting Ciel to do so as well. Seeing the scene above her, the vice captain let out a gasp.</p><p>“The sky… and the stars… I’ve never seen such beautiful scenery before…”</p><p>The sky above them was a mix of purple and dark blue color, decorated by the bright stars, as if they were being wrapped by a glittering blanket. The darkness around them made the stars look brighter as they were spread through the entire night sky. There were bigger and brighter stars in some spots in the sky and some of the smaller stars lined up to vaguely form a line-shaped cluster of stars.</p><p>Ciel instinctively put her hands on her chest as she admired the stars in the sky, until she felt something cold to the touch. She looked down to see the fixed pendant, but instead of having a single bullet pendant, she saw two big bullets and a small one between them. She held them in her hand in wonder before looking at the captain, who was also mesmerized by the starry night sky.</p><p>“Um… did you add a couple more bullets to the pendant?” Ciel asked curiously.</p><p>Hiro looked at her face before looking down at the pendant in her hand. His smile faded and was replaced by a serious look while having his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her in the eyes, which made the vice captain slightly flinch.</p><p>“I… I made it while thinking of the image of a small family…” the brunette replied almost in a whisper. “Well, you know… the kind of family that includes a dad, a mom, and–”</p><p>“A child,” Ciel had diverted her gaze away as she had caught on to the pendantʼs meaning. Not wanting him to have the wrong idea, she grabbed both of his hands, “I… I havenʼt been able to see myself as a parent, but I-Iʼll consider it…”</p><p>Hiro smiled as he stared at his flustered wife before the smile turned into a chuckle. He gazed at her lovingly as he put a hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him, “Take all the time you need; I’m not trying to rush you when youʼre still trying to learn about married life. Besides, Iʼm already happy with the way things are.”</p><p>Ciel was still blushing as she gave him a smile in return, “I feel the same way…”</p><p>Their lips met once more as they embraced each other in the freezing cold night. They kept each other warm both physically and within their hearts. It was another memory together which they would never forget for as long as they lived.</p><p>The place wasnʼt always free of Aragami, but it had grown into a special place for them. Perhaps, some time in the future, the place would finally be free from any Aragami attacks and they would be able to bring their child to gaze at the night sky with them.</p><p>But for Ciel, the present time still mattered the most for her at the moment. She expected nothing too special on her birthday, but she had been given the most heartwarming gift: the warmth of his heart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And here's another entry to the barely existent collection of stories for my favorite GE pair! Another story about these two is coming soon, probably around Christmas, so stay tuned for that!</p><p>As always, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you guys think about the story!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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